African violet plant named Mary

ABSTRACT

An African violet plant named Mary, characterized by its white flowers with pink center radiating irregularly towards the very delicately frilled edges; tight bouquet about the leaves; strong upright flower stems curving slightly toward the center; profuse flowering; vigorous growth habit; medium green, velvety, round, serrated leaves; and long lasting and non-dropping single flowers.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Africanviolet plant, botanically known as Saintpaulia ionantha, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name Mary.

The new cultivar Mary is a mutation and was discovered by applicant in1985 in Nashville, Tenn., while growing as a single plant among plantsof the parent cultivar Improved Oregon, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.5,600. The new cultivar was immediately recognized by its generallywhite flower color, as compared to the pink flower color of its parent,and was given the selection number M/G 93/XXIII. The parent cultivarImproved Oregon was developed in a breeding program in Isselburg,Federal Republic of Germany from a female parent identified as C165/2Xand a male parent identified as F 111 pink frilled.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by leaf cuttings, as performedby me at both Nashville, Tenn. and Haffen, Federal Republic of Germany,has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as hereindisclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained throughsuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

Mary has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions.The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment suchas temperature, light intensity and day length. The followingobservations, measurements and values describe the new cultivar as grownin 10 cm pots in Haffen, Federal Republic of Germany and Nashville,Tenn. under greenhouse conditions which closely approximate thosegenerally used in commercial practice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Mary which in combination distinguish thisAfrican violet as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Strong upright flower stems curving slightly toward the center.

2. White flowers with pink center radiating irregularly towards the verydelicately frilled edges.

3. First flash of flowers appears 9-10 weeks after potting and forms atight bouquet above the leaves.

4. Long-lasting, non-dropping single flowers.

5. Each plant carries 10-12 upright flower stems, each of which carries7-9 and more flowers.

6. Profuse flowering.

7. Seed capsule pushes slightly through.

8. Vigorous grower.

9. Plant saleable 10-11 weeks after potting.

10. Medium green, velvety, round leaves, serrated.

11. After maturity, the flowers dry off and remain on the pedunclewithout becoming infected by botrytis.

The new cultivar is most similar to its parent Improved Oregon. Mary isprincipally distinguished from Improved Oregon by the color of theflowers.

The accompanying color photographic drawing shows a typical specimenplant of the new cultivar. The colors appearing in the photograph are astrue as possible with color illustration of this type.

In the following description, color references are made to the RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart (RHS), except where general colors ofordinary significance are referred to. Color values were taken undernatural light conditions at approximately 2.00 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn.Under cooler growing conditions and more intensive lighting, the pinkcolor becomes more intense.

Botanical clafficication: Saintpaulia ionantha, Ramat., cv. Mary.

Propagation: The new cultivar holds its distinguishing characteristicsthrough successive propagations by leaf cuttings and by division ofshoots.

Plant: From 7 cm to 9 cm tall when grown in pots, and approximately 25cm in diameter when fully grown. The growth rate is vigorous.

Leaves.--Shape: Round. Diameter: 55-70 mm. Texture: Leather-like.Aspect: Velvety, hairy, slightly shiny, serrated. Ribs and veins: Upperside visible, under side well pronounced, light green, shiny. Color(Upper side): Between 147 A and B; (photograph is darker). Color (underside): Yellow green 147D. Petioles: Strong, upright, light green, hairy.

Flowers.--Buds: Ball-shaped, 7-8 mm before opening, light green. Sepals:Five (5) in number, green. Calyx: Funnel-shaped. Aspect: Spear-shaped,hairy. Peduncle: Strong, upright, green, sometimes with light purplishtouch, hairy.

Individual flowers.--Size: 35-40 mm. Shape: Single violet-shaped,frilled edges. Color (upper side): White with red purple 58A throat;pink to red tinging radiates irregularly from the throat. Color (underside): Slight amounts of pink 65B intensifying toward the center to 65A.Borne: Each of the 10-12 flower stems carries 7-9 and more flowers onstrong, upright, wire-like peduncles that are free standing above theleaves. Flowering habit: Flowers 9-10 weeks after potting. Corolla: Veryprofuse and tight, free standing above the leaves.

Reproductive organs.--Stamens: Two (2) in number. Anthers: Two stamenscomposed of 4 anther cells, seed capsule pushes slightly through.Filaments: 4 mm long, yelowish green. Pollen Color: Yellow 7A. Styles: 6mm long, light pink, base of ovary light green.

Roots.--Normally developed, white when young, turning slightly brownishwhen older.

Disease resistance: Good.

General observations: Mary is a vigorous grower, with 10-12 flower stemseach carrying 7-9 single, violet-shaped flowers. The flowers are whitewith a pink center and have delicately frilled edges. The medium green,velvety, serrated leaves give the plant a fresh look. The fullydeveloped flower head forms a tight bouquet that is free-standing abovethe leaves. Approximately 10-11 weeks after potting the plant issaleable. The flowers are long-lasting and non-dropping and the seedcapsule pushes slightly through.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of African violet named Mary, asdescribed and illustrated, and particularly characterized by its whiteflowers with pink center radiating irregularly towards the verydelicately frilled edges; tight bouquet above the leaves; strong uprightflower stems curving slightly toward the center; profuse flowering;vigorous growth habit; medium green, velvety, round, serrated leaves;and long lasting and non-dropping single flowers.